Kohala Lighthouse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Right off the bat, it’s looking pretty bleak. We’ve got Kohala Lighthouse on the radar, and for the next couple of weeks, the wind is going to be a real problem. It’s mostly a strong cross-shore breeze straight out of the ENE, which is just messing things up. The water temp is sitting at 81° and that’s about normal for this time of year, no surprises there.

Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st are a write-off. Thursday morning we’ve got a tiny 3 ft swell from the ENE with a short 7-second period and only 140 units of energy, but it’s cross-onshore and choppy. Absolute no-go. Friday sees a bit more size, up to 4 ft, but the wind gets stronger and it’s a lumpy cross-chop.

Saturday the 22nd kicks up to 7 ft on the morning with the same short period 6-second stuff, and 301 units of energy – moderate, but the cross-wind is 22 mph. It’s messy. That continues through Sunday, hitting 7 ft on the afternoon but with 25 mph winds.

Through the whole week up to Monday the 31st, it’s the same story: swell between 4 ft and 8 ft, but always cross or cross-onshore winds from the ENE, moderate to strong breeze. The energy ramps up a bit, hitting 386 units on the 25th, but it doesn’t matter with that wind. The surf is poor, the conditions are lumpy and choppy. This isn’t paddle surfing, this is kite surfing territory with that much wind and that kind of beach/reef setup.

There’s a glimmer of hope. On Thursday the 3rd of September, we finally get a break in the wind. The morning is glassy, calm wind at 0 mph, with a 3 ft swell from the ENE. That’s clean, that’s rideable. Very good conditions all of a sudden. Then by the afternoon, the wind is only 3 mph from the SSW, basically glassy, and the swell picks up to 5 ft with 506 units of energy. That’s the standout of the whole forecast period. Nice and clean, but keep in mind that period is only 7 seconds – short and a bit fat, but with clean faces you’ll get fun waves at Kohala Lighthouse. The crowds are sometimes a factor, so don’t expect to have it empty.

Friday the 4th of September looks like it goes back to cross-shore wind and marginal conditions, so that Thursday the 3rd is really your one day to make a move.

In the long range, *Saturday the 30th of August* and *Sunday the 31st* have a decent sized swell coming at 6 ft to 8 ft, with energy up over 1300 units – that’s very strong. But the wind is still cross or cross-onshore at 16-22 mph, so it’s going to be a bumpy mess. The period extends to 13 seconds on the 31st, which is a proper groundswell, but with that wind direction, it’s not going to shape up well at Kohala Lighthouse. That’s more for experts in strong conditions if they’re desperate.

So, the bottom line: if you’re waiting, hold out for the 3rd of September. That’s your one clean window. The rest is wind-blown and not worth paddling out for.

Rusty.

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